Superpilots Fly 5000 Miles on Three Engines

[Dornier 335]

link

A380 Flies 5,000 Miles On Three Engines

Canada's Transportation Safety Board says Emirates Airlines elected to fly an A380 more than 5,000 miles across the Atlantic, southern Europe and the Mediterranean to Kuwait on three engines after the number four engine flamed out about an hour after takeoff from JFK. The original destination was Dubai for Flight 202 on Oct 26. "The crew consulted with the company and decided to divert to Kuwait International Airport (OKBK) on the remaining three engines where an uneventful landing took place," the TSB reported. The engine quit when the aircraft was 200nm ESE of St. John's, Newfoundland/Labrador.

Flying on three engines uses more fuel because the aircraft must fly at a lower altitude and lower speed, hence the diversion to Kuwait City. It's not clear why the crew and the company decided to press on rather than call it a day and either return to JFK or divert to several other North American airports within a few hundred miles. Maintenance personnel discovered two fuel pumps in the Engine Alliance GP7000 engine had failed and aircraft was signed off after they were replaced. It's not known how many people were on the aircraft.

 

[SIG600]

I'm curious if "consulting" was really the company saying, "do it or find another job." Heard some horror stories about that place from friends that work there.

 

[8sugarsugar]

Don't listen to General Lee aka. Sniper (Its the same guy)

Before Lee Sniper starts Emirates bashing, let me give you a preview

1. you will get raped in Dubai
2. I make more than you
3. Delta is better than you
4. Its un-american to allow Emirates to buy 777's using the Ex/Im bank
5. Its not fair Emirates has lower operating costs
6. Enjoy your Dakar Layover (wait, Delta goes there too?)

 

[8sugarsugar]

What is wrong with flying across the Atlantic with 3 engines? MD-11's do it all the time.

 

[JudgeSmails218]

What is wrong with flying across the Atlantic with 3 engines? MD-11's do it all the time.

Haha! Well played.

 

[Abernathy]

Didn't BA or Virgin do something like this with a 747 some years ago?

 

[Abernathy]

Found it www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=1d72e828-0bd8-4c60-b545-7cf088bca0f2

 

[Dornier 335]

Didn't BA or Virgin do something like this with a 747 some years ago?

What's very worrying about it is the number of pilots on pprune agreeing with that decision!

 

[Tweaker]

"BA denies that financial considerations played a part in the decision to continue the flight. Captain Doug Brown, BA's 747 Senior Captain, said the only issue was ?what was best for passengers.?


?The plane is as safe on three engines as on four and it can fly on two. It was really a customer service issue, not a safety issue."

Wow. He really made those sounds with his mouth! WOW

 

[XTW]

Different rules apply to 3&4 engine aircraft vice 2 engine aircraft.
Just sayin'.


X

 

[asayankee]

Did it occur to anyone that a 4-engine aircraft fueled for a 12+ hour flight doesn't have the ability to land after losing an engine "shortly" after t/o....especially 2 hours east over the North Atlantic. I've never done it, but from friends that fly 747's, a failure of one engine is much more of a yellow caution message than an actual emergency.

 

[General Lee]

What is wrong with flying across the Atlantic with 3 engines? MD-11's do it all the time.

Haha! Shut down another, cause 767s do it! Haha!!!! Nerd!


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[waveflyer]

Here's a question with jets- can you ascertain the cause of a flameout in practically brand new engines and that a similar cause won't affect the other engines. Bad fuel, ash, etc- no a lot of options over the Atlantic
But agree that 4 engines with widebody fuel is different from 2 engines in a narrow-

I'm interested in what the widebody flyers think on this

 

[Flyer1015]

4 Engines 4 Long Haul

 

[Data]

Chuck Norris flew a single engine airplane over the pond, with an engine failure just after takeoff.

 

[waveflyer]

Chuck Norris flew a single engine airplane over the pond, with an engine failure just after takeoff.

All survived the flight
No one survived chuck norris

 

[tomgoodman]

Down to seven

B-52 copilot: "Hey, we just lost an engine!"

Aircraft Commander: "You woke me up just for that?"

 

[Golden Falcon]

Why the sarcastic thread....they did nothing spectacular....and not unsafe..a bit out of the ordinary perhaps...

 

[rettofly]

B-52 copilot: "Hey, we just lost an engine!"

Aircraft Commander: "You woke me up just for that?"

We had some fun with a BUFF driver once in an initial Indoc class, jazzing him about the horror of the dreaded 7 engine approach and landing.

 

[jonjuan]

Why the sarcastic thread....they did nothing spectacular....and not unsafe..a bit out of the ordinary perhaps...

Easy pops. Quit being so sensitive. Take the ribbing like a man.